The city considered it a trailer (it is on wheels, after all), and people are not allowed to live in them within its boundaries.

But with the help of Coun. Ward Sutherland, who supports tiny homes as a way of providing affordable shelter, she is able to keep the home where it is if she applies for a development permit and connects it to city utilities such as sewage and water, Metro News reported Tuesday.

The city is treating it as a backyard suite for now, and Shadlock is glad it's being discussed.

"I think in the future we're all going to need to talk about other ways of living," she told the newspaper.